Resort Manager, State Game Lodge Area - Custer State Park Resort

Xanterra Travel Collection•State Game Lodge, SD

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Resort Manager is the senior operating leader for the State Game Lodge and Creekside Lodge area of Custer State Park Resort, with overall accountability for performance across lodging, food and beverage, retail, Jeep Safari operations, weddings, banquets, group business, special events, employee housing, and associated guest and operating areas. The role oversees financial results, labor performance, guest experience, operational execution, property condition, safety, leadership effectiveness, and the annual Arts Festival. The Resort Manager leads and develops the area’s leadership team, establishes clear expectations and accountability, and partners with park-wide functional leaders to implement company standards, strategies, and operating requirements. The position also helps grow year-round leisure, group, wedding, banquet, event, and other business while delivering Xanterra’s Legendary Hospitality and preserving the historic character of State Game Lodge. This is a full-time, year-round position.

Requirements

At least five years of progressive hospitality leadership experience, including responsibility for multi-department operations.
Demonstrated experience managing financial performance, labor, guest satisfaction, property condition, and leadership teams.
Ability to lead and develop leaders within a complex, multi-department hospitality operation.
Strong business and financial acumen, including budgeting, forecasting, P&L analysis, labor management, expense control, and profitability improvement.
Ability to establish priorities, communicate expectations clearly, hold leaders accountable, and drive measurable results.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including translating financial, operational, labor, and guest feedback into action.
Strong relationship-building and communication skills and ability to work across functional departments and with SDGFP and external partners.
Ability to make sound operating decisions and resolve complex issues in a fast-paced, geographically dispersed resort environment.
Ability to balance immediate operations with longer-term guest experience, employee, financial, year-round business, event, and historic-property objectives.
Strong organizational and time-management skills and ability to manage multiple priorities.
Commitment to continuous improvement, leadership development, guest service, safety, historic stewardship, and operational excellence.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office and experience with property management, POS, scheduling, payroll/timekeeping, and other hospitality operating systems.

Nice To Haves

Previous experience as a Resort Manager, Hotel Manager, Director of Operations, Assistant General Manager, or in a comparable property leadership role.
Experience in seasonal, year-round, destination, resort, lodge, park, event, or similarly complex hospitality operations.
Experience leading seasonal employees and working in an employee housing environment.
Bachelor’s degree in hospitality management, business administration, or a related field; equivalent relevant leadership experience will be considered.

Responsibilities

Provide visible, hands-on leadership for the State Game Lodge and Creekside Lodge operation and establish a culture of accountability, collaboration, guest service, safety, and continuous improvement.
Build and develop a high-performing resort leadership team, setting expectations for financial performance, guest service, labor management, safety, employee engagement, property stewardship, and operations.
Coach and develop managers and supervisors through feedback, accountability, succession planning, and leadership development.
Partner with Human Resources and functional leaders on recruiting, hiring, onboarding, performance management, employee relations, development, and seasonal employee strategies.
Partner with park-wide functional leaders to implement strategies, standards, and programs and maintain accountability for results.
Participate in manager-on-call duties and provide leadership during evenings, weekends, holidays, emergencies, and other periods as business needs require.
Direct daily operations across both lodges and coordinate departments to deliver a seamless resort experience.
Maintain standards for product quality, guest service, cleanliness, operating readiness, property presentation, and consistency with company service standards and each lodge’s identity.
Monitor guest feedback and GuestRevu results, identify trends, and ensure action is taken to improve guest experience.
Engage with guests and support resort leaders in resolving significant concerns promptly and professionally.
Coordinate with other resort locations and Central Reservations, Sales, Catering, Revenue Management, Marketing, Activities, and other departments to support an integrated park-wide experience.
Ensure weddings, banquets, groups, Jeep Safari operations, signature events, and other complex business are coordinated across departments.
Own financial performance across lodging, food and beverage, retail, activities, weddings, banquets, groups, and events; achieve established revenue, labor, expense, and profitability expectations.
Review financial and operating results, address variances, and implement opportunities to grow revenue, improve productivity, control costs, and increase profitability.
Manage resort-level labor performance, including staffing, schedules, hours, overtime, productivity, and labor cost, in alignment with business levels and budgets.
Partner with department leaders and Finance to develop annual operating budgets, forecasts, capital priorities, and business plans.
Hold leaders accountable for financial responsibilities and use financial, operating, labor, and guest data to make timely decisions.
Develop and execute annual operating plans for year-round business, covering demand generation, operating calendars, staffing, service levels, programming, revenue, occupancy, and profitability targets.
Maintain accountability for the condition, appearance, cleanliness, preservation, and readiness of the lodge complex.
Partner with Facilities and Engineering on work orders, preventive maintenance, capital needs, life-safety requirements, and care of buildings, equipment, grounds, and infrastructure.
Inspect guest, operating, event, housing, and employee areas and ensure deficiencies are addressed.
Ensure employee housing is safe, maintained, well-managed, and operated according to established policies and the Community Commitment.
Lead seasonal opening, closing, and winterization readiness and prepare the lodges for the approved year-round operating model.
Identify and communicate longer-term property, equipment, facility, preservation, and capital needs.
Ensure compliance with company policies, the SDGFP concession contract, and applicable health, liquor, fire, food service, alcohol service, safety, and other regulatory requirements.
Promote safety, risk awareness, and personal accountability; partner on inspections, incident response, corrective actions, emergency preparedness, and risk reduction.
Maintain productive working relationships with South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks and other appropriate operating partners.
Lead planning and execution of the annual Arts Festival with SDGFP and internal departments, including operating plans, site readiness, staffing, guest flow, vendors, food and beverage, retail, safety, communications, contingencies, and post-event review.
Support operations for other major park events and high-demand periods, including the Buffalo Roundup.
Lead seasonal ramp-up and ramp-down and support the transition to year-round operations.
Plan for unusually high visitation and operational complexity, including staffing, communication, inventory, facilities support, traffic and guest flow, and contingencies.
Perform other duties and projects as assigned by the General Manager.